This website collects cookies to deliver better user experience. Cookie Policy
Accept
Sign In
The Wall Street Publication
  • Home
  • Trending
  • U.S
  • World
  • Politics
  • Business
    • Business
    • Economy
    • Real Estate
    • Markets
    • Personal Finance
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
    • Lifestyle
    • Style
    • Arts
  • Health
  • Sports
  • Entertainment
Reading: China Fines Weibo for Spreading ‘Illegal Information’
Share
The Wall Street PublicationThe Wall Street Publication
Font ResizerAa
Search
  • Home
  • Trending
  • U.S
  • World
  • Politics
  • Business
    • Business
    • Economy
    • Real Estate
    • Markets
    • Personal Finance
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
    • Lifestyle
    • Style
    • Arts
  • Health
  • Sports
  • Entertainment
Have an existing account? Sign In
Follow US
© 2024 The Wall Street Publication. All Rights Reserved.
The Wall Street Publication > Blog > Tech > China Fines Weibo for Spreading ‘Illegal Information’
Tech

China Fines Weibo for Spreading ‘Illegal Information’

Editorial Board Published December 14, 2021
Share
China Fines Weibo for Spreading ‘Illegal Information’
SHARE

SINGAPORE—Chinese authorities said they have fined social-media giant Weibo Corp. millions of dollars for a string of infractions, the second time in two weeks that Beijing has announced the punishment of a major internet platform amid a further tightening of controls online.

The Cyberspace Administration of China said on Tuesday that Twitter-like Weibo had been ordered to pay a penalty of 3 million yuan, the equivalent of about $471,000, for disseminating “illegal information” in severe violation of regulations including the country’s cybersecurity law and its law governing the protection of minors.

The internet regulator said its Beijing office had separately fined Weibo more than 40 times for violations over the first 11 months of the year, resulting in a total penalties equal to $2.2 million.

Weibo said the company accepts the penalty and will start to implement corrective measures, including cleaning up soft pornography and misleading marketing content. The platform had 511 million monthly active users as of September 2020, the most recent number available on the company’s website.

The company’s newly listed Hong Kong shares fell almost 10% in trading Tuesday. The Hang Seng Tech Index dropped 2.3%.

Weibo’s latest penalty comes two weeks after the regulator fined Douban.com, a popular online platform for discussing movies, entertainment and culture. The cyberspace agency said in a statement on Dec. 2 that Douban had also disseminated content that violated the country’s cybersecurity regulations and fined it the equivalent of nearly $236,000. Douban had been separately fined by its Beijing office a total of $1.4 million for content transgressions during the first 11 months of the year, the agency said.

Douban didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Authorities didn’t point to specific content they deemed illegal in the case of either company.

Chinese authorities have been tightening control of internet content, news and other information in the run-up to President Xi Jinping’s expected coronation as China’s most senior leader for a precedent-breaking third term next year. Earlier this year, the country’s central economic planning agency unveiled plans to expand restrictions on the involvement of “nonpublic capital” in swaths of the news industry—a move that analysts say served a warning to news organizations with private funding to step between approved lines.

The penalties against Weibo and Douban also come on the heels of an explosive post on the Weibo account of Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai accusing a former vice premier of sexual assault.

Video posted by Chinese state media journalists showed tennis star Peng Shuai making her first public appearance after she disappeared in early November. Peng has raised global concern following a sexual-assault accusation against a retired senior Chinese official. Photo: Twitter/HuXijin_GT

The post appeared on Ms. Peng’s account on Nov. 2 and stayed visible for roughly 20 minutes before disappearing. Searches for her account were blocked on Weibo and her name was censored across much of the Chinese internet. Some of the world’s biggest tennis stars posted messages on Twitter asking about her whereabouts, and the Women’s Tennis Association later announced it was halting all events in China out of concern for her safety.

Douban.com, where users are known for deploying clever internet jargon and roundabout language to evade censors, was one of the few platforms on the Chinese internet to host active discussion of Ms. Peng’s predicament, if only briefly.

Xiao Qiang, a researcher focusing on China’s internet at the University of California, Berkeley, said punishments are only likely to become more heavy-handed as the Communist Party relies on platforms to police discussion online according to increasingly stringent standards.

“Chinese censorship is like whack-a-mole,” he said. “It is impossible to stop more than 800 million internet users from talking.”

—Rachel Liang contributed to this article.

Write to Liza Lin at [email protected]

Copyright ©2021 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8

Appeared in the December 15, 2021, print edition as ‘China Imposes Fines On a Leading Platform.’

TAGGED:Tech NewsWall Street Publication
Share This Article
Twitter Email Copy Link Print
Previous Article Heating Your Home Is Expensive and Carbon Heavy. Will Heat Pumps Help? Heating Your Home Is Expensive and Carbon Heavy. Will Heat Pumps Help?
Next Article Who is the Sexiest Male Writer of 2021 Who is the Sexiest Male Writer of 2021

Editor's Pick

Alyssa Farah Griffin: ‘The View’ Co-Host is Pregnant With Child #1!

Alyssa Farah Griffin: ‘The View’ Co-Host is Pregnant With Child #1!

Studying Time: 3 minutes The View co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin is pregnant! On ‘The View,’ Alyssa Farah Griffin breaks the…

By Editorial Board 3 Min Read
Arturo Gatti Jr. Reason behind Dying: Son of Boxing Legend Passes Away at 17
Arturo Gatti Jr. Reason behind Dying: Son of Boxing Legend Passes Away at 17

Studying Time: 2 minutes Aruturo Gatti Jr. — an aspiring boxer and…

3 Min Read
Mandy Moore ‘Unrecognizable’ to Followers After Debuting New Face
Mandy Moore ‘Unrecognizable’ to Followers After Debuting New Face

Studying Time: 4 minutes Mandy Moore has followers scratching their heads. This…

6 Min Read

Oponion

‘F9: The Fast Saga’ 4K Ultra HD movie review

‘F9: The Fast Saga’ 4K Ultra HD movie review

The Fast and Furious franchise’s latest blockbuster offered the ninth…

September 21, 2021

My Heisman Trophy poll: Travis Hunter on prime in refresh race not dominated by quarterbacks

A Heisman Trophy race not like…

December 15, 2024

The Low-Key Summer time Look That’s In every single place in L.A. Proper Now | Fashion

We independently consider all really useful…

July 7, 2025

Bank Investors Must Wait for the Benefits of Rising Interest Rates

Rising interest rates are going to…

January 14, 2022

Investors Bet Environmental Fears Will Crunch Commodity Supply, Lifting Prices

Investors are ramping up wagers that…

September 23, 2021

You Might Also Like

WIRED’S Favourite PC Monitor Is  Off
Tech

WIRED’S Favourite PC Monitor Is $75 Off

In case you're uninterested in staring a tiny laptop computer display whereas working from residence, think about scooping up our…

3 Min Read
Your Cat In all probability Is not Ingesting Sufficient Water. A Fountain Can Assist.
Tech

Your Cat In all probability Is not Ingesting Sufficient Water. A Fountain Can Assist.

Evaluate Our PicksOthers We ExaminedCourtesy of PetkikPetkit Eversweet Max for $90: This techy computerized fountain will be both cordless or…

17 Min Read
Wish to Begin a Web site? These Are the Finest Web site Builders
Tech

Wish to Begin a Web site? These Are the Finest Web site Builders

Prime Web site BuildersFinest for Most IndividualsSquarespace CoreLearn ExtraFinest Low cost Web site BuilderHostinger Web site BuilderLearn ExtraFinest for Small…

5 Min Read
Specialised’s New Electrical Mountain Bike Is So Enjoyable I Forgot to Go House
Tech

Specialised’s New Electrical Mountain Bike Is So Enjoyable I Forgot to Go House

The following experience was on singletrack from my home to Spirit Mountain, Duluth’s downhill lift-accessed park with 24 trails starting…

4 Min Read
The Wall Street Publication

About Us

The Wall Street Publication, a distinguished part of the Enspirers News Group, stands as a beacon of excellence in journalism. Committed to delivering unfiltered global news, we pride ourselves on our trusted coverage of Politics, Business, Technology, and more.

Company

  • About Us
  • Newsroom Policies & Standards
  • Diversity & Inclusion
  • Careers
  • Media & Community Relations
  • WP Creative Group
  • Accessibility Statement

Contact

  • Contact Us
  • Contact Customer Care
  • Advertise
  • Licensing & Syndication
  • Request a Correction
  • Contact the Newsroom
  • Send a News Tip
  • Report a Vulnerability

Term of Use

  • Digital Products Terms of Sale
  • Terms of Service
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Settings
  • Submissions & Discussion Policy
  • RSS Terms of Service
  • Ad Choices

© 2024 The Wall Street Publication. All Rights Reserved.

Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Lost your password?